Basketball: Noah Hupmann ’25 and Vinny Buccilla ’25
It might be bending the rules a little to pick two players of the month, but it seemed criminal to leave either of these two off the list. Noah Hupmann ’25 and Vinny Buccilla ’25 have been everything for Wabash basketball this season.
Hupmann leads the team in blocks and rebounds — emphasis on the blocks. The big man leads Division III in blocks this season with 93 on the year. The growing total is a Wabash record. It’s not hard to energize the fans at Chadwick Court, but a poster dunk and nasty swat from Hupmann will send the Crazies into hysteria.
Buccilla at 6 foot 3 inches tall and Hupmann at 7 foot 2 inches tall are almost a foot apart in height, but that doesn’t stop Buccilla from coming up just as big on the court. He has led the team in scoring all season long. The senior from Fishers, Indiana averages 15.1 points a game, and he earns every one of them with physical finishing at the rim.
Together the duo will lead Wabash into the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament, beginning on February 28.
Lacrosse: Quinn Fitzgerald ’25
By now his name is basically synonymous with Wabash lacrosse. Quinn Fitzgerald ’25 is Wabash’s all-time leader in points per game, goals per game, shots per game, and shots on goal per game. With his final season underway and several more records ready to fall, Fitzgeraldhas been the most notable player in the NCAC so far this season.
Against Muskingum University on Saturday, February 22, the attackman scored a season-high seven goals, contributing to the Little Giants’ 12-6 victory. Averaging 7.3 points per game — achieved with 14 goals and 8 assists in three games — Fitzgerald is off to an incredible start after the first month of lacrosse play.
With February over and March promising better weather, Wabash fans can turnout to Fischer Field to watch history be written.
Swimming & diving: Ethan Johns ’25
There’s a laundry list of honorable mentions to go along with this month’s pick: Nick Plumb ’27, Connor Craig ’25 and half a dozen more Little Giants were pivotal in the team’s historic finish at the NCAC Championships. But Ethan Johns ’25 was still head-and-shoulders above them all, so he will repeat as The Bachelor’s pick for athlete of the month.
Capping off an incredible career with arguably his best month of performance, Johns set the standard for everyone wearing Scarlet.
The senior was part of the 800-yard freestyle relay team that set the school record at conference. Johns, Sweeney, Plumb and Ryan West ’28 finished in 6:44.00 to take third place in the event.
He also helped the 400-yard relay to a season-best 3:22.19. And on his own he finished 12th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 20.98 seconds.
In his final collegiate meet Johns took home gold in the 200-yard freestyle at the Wabash Last Chance Meet.
Tennis: Cole Shifferly ’26
He’s a cool, calm, collected, Lambda Chi killer. Playing the 1-singles spot is no easy task, but Cole Shifferly ’26 does it every time. With the opposing team’s best player on the other side of the net, the junior has a vital job in every contest.
Shifferly went 5-1 in singles through February. His only loss came in a third-set tiebreaker against the best player on a Division II team ranked seventh in the nation, Rollins College. In doubles with his partner Augusto Ghidini ’26, Shifferly won six of eight matches at 1-doubles.
The Decater native is a master of analytics on the court, finding his opponents weaknesses and directing the point until he finds the perfect moment to make a winning move. The statbook doesn’t lie on this point. Shifferly is undefeated in second sets this season and makes much quicker work of his opponents once he’s had a chance to observe them.
Track & field: Sly Williams ’26
After spending much of the season on the sidelines, Sly Williams ’26 made a dramatic comeback. And in the month of February, he found his form and started jumping through the roof.
The junior put up the NCAC’s second best long jump in his first meet back, sending a clear message to the rest of the conference.
It was in Greencastle, at the home of the Dannies, the junior added 20 points to the Little Giants’ 143-138 win over the home Tigers. Going 6.71 meters in long jump and 13.39 meters in the triple jump, Williams picked up a pair of gold finishes, winning both events.
Williams will go out for a gold medal in the 2025 NCAC Indoor Championships beginning on February 28.
Volleyball: Bawibawi Thang ’27
To absolutely no one’s surprise — Bawibawi Thang ’27 is just that guy and The Bachelor’s obvious choice for player of the month.
With a staggering 120 kills over the month of February, Thang puts opponents on their heels like it’s nothing. His performance against Trinity College was good for new record in attack percentage – setting the bar high at .783.
Thang has been piling the stat books high this month. But it takes more than a box score to appreciate the sophomore’s contribution to his team.
Two-time Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League Player of the Week, and a catalyst for launching the Scarlet & White into its best season yet, the freak athlete brings a vertical you have to see to believe, blistering kills and creative play to the net.
Wrestling: Chase Baczek ’25
He’s a master of the borderline-mystical arts of the mat. An All-American in previous seasons, Chase Baczek ’25 was living up to his own legend through the month of February.
The 197-pounder went unbeaten in the second month of 2025, cleaning a long list of opponents at the Wabash College Open, the Greyhound at the University of Indianapolis, Open Mid-States Invitational at Manchester University.
With three tech falls, five pins, one decision and one forfeit – it takes a lot of courage to give in to self-preservation – the senior from Libertyville, Illinois can get the job done in a variety of ways.
Baczek will take on the 197-pound bracket at the 2025 NCAA Division III Region V Tournament, hosted by Wabash with hopes of making another trip to nationals. A top-three finish will earn him a ticket to Rhode Island where nationals will be held.